Chaparrals end Pioneers’ season

Wayland Baptist University

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Oklahoma City - The most successful baseball season in Wayland Baptist history came to a close Thursday afternoon with a 10-4 loss to top-ranked Lubbock Christian University in the second round of the NAIA Region VI Tournament.

The Pioneers, who were ranked 13th in the final NAIA poll released Wednesday - the highest final rating ever by a Wayland team, wrapped up their spring with a school-record 43 wins, 16 losses and a tie.

Against LCU, Wayland took an early 4-1 lead on two-run homers by Todd Jeffress and Johnathan Torres in the second inning.

Jeffress, the WBU starter, shut down the high-powered Chaparral offense until the fifth inning when back-to-back homers by Rob Learned and Tyler Johnson tied the game at four.

The Chaps broke the game open in the bottom of the inning on a grand slam by shortstop Ryan Burke and a solo shot from Will Stramp.

Torres, who added a double later in the game, had two of the five Pioneer hits off LCU starter Tanner Vickers, who got the complete game win, his 10th of the season. Eddie Allen also doubled for Wayland.

LCU advanced to the winner's bracket final this morning against Oklahoma City University, a 25-2 winner over Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday night.

OBU will take on Texas Wesleyan, which stayed alive by defeating Northwood University, 10-4, in the early elimination game on Thursday.

The Pioneers had a .717 winning percentage, the highest ever by a WBU baseball team, and the 16 losses are a record-low.

The pitching staff had two 11-game winners for the first time ever in Jeffress and Gary Gates, recorded a record-breaking 419 strikeouts, and established a new mark for saves in a season with 15.

Wayland also had its first-ever NAIA Pitcher of the Week honoree when freshman Trevor Stringer was awarded the national honor following his 7-1 victory over LCU on April 26.

Jeffress took over the lead in WBU career pitching wins (25), shutouts (6), starts (46) and innings pitched (278.1). Gates closed out his Pioneer career with the record for career appearances (82), and Mario Canales, also a senior, moved into a tie for second place with 10 career saves.

Offensively, the Pioneers broke the school record for home runs in a game when they hit eight at home on April 19 against Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

Individually, Brett Cook hit 20 long balls on the year, breaking the old record of 17 held by Trey Roberson, J.J. Peirce and Michael Reyes.

Cook and Jeffress both tied the mark for most home runs in a game with three, and Cook, Jeffress and Brett Sheppard, all juniors, each tied the record for most hits in a game with five.

Jeffress also broke the oldest school record in the books when he knocked in nine runs against West Texas A&M University back on March 25. Reyes, a former NAIA first team All-American outfielder, had held the previous RBI mark of eight since April 1993.

Pioneer coach Brad Bass loses just six players off the 2008 team: Gates, the lone starting pitcher; Canales, Richard Cruz and Shea Clark, all out of the bullpen; starting shortstop Vinny Biancamano; and catcher David Purcell.